@Viracocha:
Problem I foresee - is that it does have potential to extend the game…
eh eh eh buddy, we dont know for sure before we have playtestet it some thousand times. I dont think defenders retreat will extend the game, because at some point the defender must stop and fight a last stand battle, usually in his capital. And I dont see how a bonus Breakthrough move will extend the game. Its far more logical that an extra move will shorten the game, since you get to the enemy capital faster.
What basically makes for a fast or slow game, is who you play with. Does your buddy need one hour for each turn the Goofy style, or is he a Speedy Gonzales lookalike ?
Also the play style make a differ. The more IPC’s you collect, the more pieces you purchase, the longer time to play. All the extra NO bonus income extend the game far more than a defender retreat rule or a Blitzkrieg rule.
When dealing with this issue, I also think the current official turn order extend the game more than a defender retreat rule. One player think, purchase, think, move, think, roll dice, think some more and finally place units, simultanesly with 7 others just wasting time. Now if Larry had listen to IL a few years ago, we would have an All Axis turn followed by an All Allied turn. That would make for fast play indeed.